I. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a smart card reader. More particularly, the present invention relates to a PCB (printed circuit board) smart card connector with contact elements which can be moved into a non-contact position.
II. Description of the Related Art
Smart cards readers which are also called chip card readers or chip cart contacting apparatus are known in a large number of different designs. Smart card readers are adapted to provide a connection between contact elements mounted in the smart card reader and card contacts provided on a surface of a smart card. The smart card reader is typically adapted to be placed on a printed circuit board and the termination ends of the contact elements are adapted to be connected with the contact paths of said printed circuit board.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a smart card reader comprising a contact system consisting of a plurality of contact elements such that its contact elements are moved into contact with the smart card contacts, which form a card contact field, only at the time when the card contacts are located in a position where the contact elements will not slide over the card before making contact with said card contacts.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a smart card reader suitable for being soldered into a printed circuit board. According to a further object of the invention, compatibility should be provided for an already existing layout. Preferably, the smart card reader should fit into an XLC (low cost) layout.
It is another object of the invention to provide a smart card reader having outer dimensions which correspond to the dimensions of the XLC (low cost) reader.
According to a still further object of the invention. a smart card reader is provided which carefully handles the smart card by causing a sliding movement between the smart card surface and the contact elements.
Further, an object of the invention relates to the mounting of the smart card reader on printed circuit boards such that the mounting process can be easily carried out by using snap-in elements and pins
In accordance with the present invention, a smart card reader is provided which comprises a housing, contact elements mounted in said housing, and pivot means for moving said contact elements between a non-contact position and a smart card contact position. The contact elements are preferably biased.
Said pivot means is adapted to hold said contact elements in a depressed condition when the smart card reader is in its smart card input/output position. also called insert/take-out position. The input/output position of the smart card reader is the position where a smart card can be inserted or can be taken out of the smart card reader. If a smart card is inserted into the smart card reader, starting from its input/output position, the smart card eventually reaches its end or reading position. The end position is also called reading position because in this position, the contact elements of the smart reader are in contact with the card contacts of the smart card so as to xe2x80x9cread outxe2x80x9d the information in the smart card and possibly supply new information to the chip which is located in the smart card.
The pivot means are preferably provided with a control or cam surface or cam curve. Preferably, the pivot means is moved or controlled by a cover or card receiving means movably mounted in said housing. Preferably, the cover is mounted for a reciprocal movement in said housing and only in longitudinal direction thereof.
Preferably, the contact elements are elongate and form contact areas in the form of contact cusps which can be lowered when the smart card reader is in its input/output position.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the smart card reader comprises an insert slot for the smart card. The insert slot extends in longitudinal direction through said smart card reader and is adapted to receive the smart card. By lowering the contact elements, in particular the contact cusps of the contact elements, into a position lower than the card receiving slot, vandals will have difficulties in destroying the smart card reader, particularly the contact elements, because any foreign matter like knives pushed into the insert slot will not encounter the contact elements, in particular the contact cusps of the contact elements because they are lowered when no smart card is inserted.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the smart card reader comprises a housing or frame carrying contact elements, a cover reciprocally mounted in said cover and pivot means actuated by said cover such that when a smart card is inserted, the cover will pivot the pivot means which in turn release the contact elements so that the contact elements can move towards the surface of the smart card carrying the card contacts and contact the smart card contacts. In accordance with the invention, the design is such that the contact elements reach their end or contacting position with the smart card contacts during the last third of possible movement of said contact elements.
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, separate brake means are provided to hold the smart card within the smart card reader. Preferably, said brake means acts on the width of the smart card, i.e. laterally and thus perpendicularly with respect to the direction of insertion.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, an end position switch is provided which is in particular designed to indicate the end position of the smart card by being open. Preferably an XLC (low cost) contact is used for the end position switch.
In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the invention, the cover is movable together with the smart card into the reading position, and it will also automatically follow the smart card towards the insert/take-out position, i.e. in the pull-out direction of the smart card if the smart card is pulled out of the smart card reader. When the smart card is (manually) pulled out of the smart card reader, then the end position switch described above will close (indicating thereby that the smart card has left the reading position). The design of the smart card reader is such that only after the end position switch has been closed, the contact elements will be moved away from the smart card contacts forming said contact field. This timed movement of the contact elements of the end position switch and of the contact elements of the smart card reader away from the smart card contact field is controlled by means of pivot means.
Additional features of the smart card reader of the invention are its module design, the use of a end position switch/housing-component, a component comprising the housing and the end position switch. and the XLC (low cost) contact elements. An additional advantage of the smart card reader of the invention is that it can be readily assembled.
Summarizing it can be said that the invention provides for the controlled movement of the contact elements into a lowered position when the card is removed from the smart card reader. The movement of the smart card into its reading position provides for a release and lifting of the contact elements so as to provide that after the release the contact elements provide full force, i.e. the contact elements are in good engagement with the smart cart contacts (of a chip which is located within said smart card)
In a method provided by the invention, a smart card is adapted to move a cover which releases and pivots pivot means. Said pivot means in turn releases the contact elements of the chip card reader so that the contact elements, in particular the contact cusps of said contact elements, move into engagement with the smart card contacts of said smart card.
In accordance with the present invention, the release of the contact elements is not initiated or carried out due to the thickness of the card, but due to the movement, in particular the sliding movement of the smart card.
The smart card reader of the invention is particularly suitable for applications where the surface of the smart card needs to protected and for contact elements which are required to have a high number of operating cycles.